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September 30, 2013

Pistachio Cake

Also called Watergate Cake, this moist cake recipe uses pistachio pudding in the cake and in the frosting. This is a perfect dessert for Easter, St. Patrick's Day and Christmas!

I take a lot of flack from people when I publish a recipe that uses short-cut, instant or imitation ingredients. Let me put something out there with cool whip in it and I always, always get the comment, “This looks good but when I make it, I’ll use real whipped cream!” And my hat's off to y’all. You rock it out with the real deal, if you want. You don’t have to convince me that it’s better.

But most of my recipes come from both limited time and limited budget so I tend to gravitate towards the ‘whip it up quick and cheap’ recipes.

And I can’t wait to see what kind of feedback I get on this one. Not only does it use a cake mix and instant pudding mix but - oh, LAWWW! - this one doesn't even use cool whip... it's made with whipped topping mix! Oh, we slummin’ now, y’all!

If you like Watergate Salad, you’ll love this recipe! This was originally published in Southern Living magazine. And it must be old because the magazine page, which my mama has in one of her many, many three-ring binders of saved recipes, is in black and white.

The cake is rich and light which is a hard combo to come by. The club soda is surely what contributes to the lightness of it and the pudding mix is what helps make it so rich. Junk ingredients or not, this cake is delicious and I wouldn't change a thing about it!

Try these variations for special occasions and holidays:

Easter Cake:

Toss coconut with green food coloring to make "grass". After you've frosted the cake, sprinkle with coconut "grass" then arrange egg-shaped candies or jelly beans on top!

Christmas Cake:

Garnish with maraschino cherries (with or without the nuts).

St. Patrick's Day Cake:

Garnish with pistachios and green maraschino cherries OR have no garish or nuts then fill the "hole" in the center of the bundt cake with gold foil wrapped chocolate coins! OMG I literally just thought of the coin idea! I'm SO doing that!!

instructions

Make the cake:

Combine all ingredients and mix at medium speed with an electric mixer for 3 minutes. Pour batter into a greased and floured bundt pan and bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes in the pan then turn out onto a serving plate. Cool cake completely.

Make the frosting:

Combine Dream Whip with pudding mix in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Slowly add milk and beat with an electric mixer on low speed until combined. Increase mixer speed to high and beat frosting for 4-6 minutes or until soft peaks form. Spread frosting evenly over cooled cake. Garnish with finely chopped pecans or pistachios. Refrigerate cake until ready to serve.

Try these variations too!

Easter Cake:

Toss coconut with green food coloring to make "grass". After you've frosted the cake, sprinkle with coconut "grass" then arrange egg-shaped candies or jelly beans on top!

Christmas Cake:

Garnish with maraschino cherries (with or without the nuts).

St. Patrick's Day Cake:

Garnish with pistachios and green maraschino cherries OR have no garish or nuts then fill the "hole" in the center of the bundt cake with gold foil wrapped chocolate coins!

I love quik easy and cheap recipes it is the only kind I use and dream whip has been around forever way before cool whip I used it as a teenager and I am 67! thanks and I love your site all the recipes look wonderful and easy

HI Love your siteHave learned so much from it.I'm sorry that people as so narrow minded that they have to complain about it's contents. That just shows me that they are so unhappy that they take it out on whatever they can. They need to start a site of their own and leave us that Like, Love, and make your recipes alone Please continue on There are more of us that Love You than complainersCheers

This sounds yummy--except for the pistachio flavor. I assume I could substitute any flavor pudding--I'm thinking lemon would be tasty. And I have no aversion to cool whip or dream whip. Like you, I'm looking for quick and delish! Keep up the good fight!

I've made this for years! It's delicious and easy to make.I usually make stuff from scratch but no shame on boxed once in awhile. Some folks need to get a life.I say whatever works and tastes good! No food snobs here-just us folks!

I used to make Watergate Salad yrs. ago and everyone always loved it!! I'm sure they'd love anything that looks this great ~thanks for sharing the recipe!How sad that some people are just plain RUDE!! It's your blog and you can print whatever you want for recipes and they should just respect that!!I appreciate you and others who take the time to try recipes out for us and post about them. I love trying new recipes!Thanks again!Tanya

Oh girl friend!! You done stole my heart with this one... my Grannie used to fix this all the time!! You just tell them haters to go on down the road cause this is delish!!! Ain't nothing wrong with using a lil cool whip on your dessert or anywhere else you fancy. Love your site and all the recipes you put out there!!

My mother-in-law told me this story: When she was a newlywed her parents were going to visit. She wanted to make a dessert to make her mom proud so she made it all from scratch. When her mother got there and was told about the "homemade" dessert", she said, "Oh, I use those new box mixes! They are so much easier!" That was in the forties!

Well Girl.... let me tell you.... One of the reasons I love stopping in to visit you here at "South Your Mouth" is because you keep it REAL!!!!

I would REALLY love to hang in the kitchen all day long making this and that from scratch but I REALLY don't have the time!!! So, to be REAL I make it work... money and time. And to toot your horn... something you got going on here at SYM always fits the bill!!...

In the end.... NOT a SOUL will remember if it was homemade whipped cream or cool whip.... What they will remember is that someone loved them enough to bring love to the table and share it with whomever is there at the time.... Great memories are made at the table not in front of the stove....

You got a cheerleader in me!!! Keep the short cuts coming..... I don't know what I would do with out them!!!

My mom has been making this Watergate Cake for years. Google the story behind it, funny about nuts in it. I keep making it for work because it is easy and light, and oopke call it my Crack Cake, because it's o good, there has to be crack in it. Vwrong, I know, but funny.

I'm so making this for the weekend!! So pretty and looks absolutely delicious!! Love your blog and love that you do it your way, keep us drooling over all your goodies and use all the freaking cool whip you want!!

I can only speak for myself but- there is a time and place for everything. (and in moderation). This is the time for a box cake, pudding mix and topping mix. I love watergate salad (still fix it after 20 years) And if I am not mistaken, we used to make dream whip- pies and cakes......And loved them. I will be trying this one soon. And I sure do hope troyin (above) eats real butter not margarine, because margarine is one step from being plastic LOL.

No, you won't need to cook it as long. Check to see what the manufacturer's instructions are for baking in a 13x9 pan and use their cooking time. Still do the toothpick test, though, because the recipe is different than the one on the box. Good luck!

I LOVE all your different recipes, & I love cool-whip.& if ppl do not happen to like a certain recipe U post, why don't they scroll down your page & find something AWESOME that U have posted. But sadly there are ppl out there that R just mean & hateful & probably don't work,so they just get on FB & look for things to complain about. & it shows they have no manners!! If you don't have anything nice to say then keep your mouth shut!!! I bet their Mom didn't explain that little bit of wisdom to them. KEEP ON POSTING YOUR RECIPES BC THERE ARE A LOT OF US THAT APPRECIATE WHAT YOU POST ON YOUR FB PAGE. & THANKS FOR ALL THE YUMMY RECIPES, U KEEP POSTING SO WE GET TO WOW OUR FAMILIES WITH THEM.

I am thrilled to find your recipe! I spent many hours baking years ago and now really, really appreciate the ones with the short cuts! The cake mix and the pudding mix.... you are speaking my language! I can't wait to try this and look forward to others you may have. Thank you!!

OMG! They still make Dream Whip? I haven't seen that since I first got married and made cream pies with it, 34 years ago. I will look for it again in the store 'cause I use the extra creamy Cool-Whip now. LOL! But I'm lovin' on the pistachio flavor!

My Mom has been making this cake for YEARS!! It is our favorite cake for birthdays, especially in the summer. I couldn't believe it when I read the recipe, only difference is she uses yellow cake mix instead of white. And that frosting (which I never knew anyone other than my mom to make) can be used with any kind of pudding mix you chose. She uses it for her regular chocolate cakes with chocolate pudding for the frosting as well for a lighter and less sweet alternative.

Wonderful!! Just made it! So moist and delicious and loving the retro style of the cake. I found out about this cake from an article that had the most popular cake's the year you were born. This was mine! Love!

Hi there! While I'm not able to respond to every comment, I try hard to answer any questions that haven't been addressed in the post, recipe or in other comments. And though I may not respond to them all, I do read each and every comment and I LOVE to hear from you guys! Thanks, y'all! - Mandy